Terror at Sea
Just in the recent fortnight, the Somaliland pirates have hijacked over eight ships including the latest victim Saudi supertanker that carried 100milliuon dollar of crude oil. However, it is quite strange that the global community is ignoring these incidents and imposing some light restriction like asset freeze, and economic sanctions on Somalia. Where are the countries that boast of their tremendous military power like Russia, America? Does United Nations still exist? Why the international countries do not they make a concrete effort to demilitarize trade-hostile nations like Somalia that give safe haven for the sea-pirates?
In recent times, the infamous Gulf of Aden is on news because of its pirate-infested waters that has become a field of constant assault on trading ships. It was not surprise revelation done by the foreign minister of Kenya Moses Wetangula that in the past 12 month the pirates have amassed a wealth of 150million dollars or 75 thousand crore by their hijacking activities. The pirates have increased the rate of their activity because most of the shipping companies agree to pay the ransom amount demanded by the pirates after negotiation as the amount is quite less when compared to the value of the ship.
Moses Wetangula, Foreign minister of Kenya
Martin Jensen the acting chief executive of frontline ltd said the cost of diverting the ships from the existing route because of the pirate attack would increase the shipping chargers up to 40 percent that would further increase the price of commodities.
International Maritime Bureau a piracy watchdog at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has confirmed this year around 80 ships have been attacked out of which 36 were successfully hijacked and still 14 ships with a total of more than 200 crew members are still being held by the pirates fro non-payment of ransom amount.
Pirates racing towards the ships on speedboats
During the recent attacks, the victims have reported that the pirates seem to be trained fighters and that they have been reportedly using advanced navigational system like GPS (Global positioning system), satellite phone, automatic, semi-automatic guns, even rocket propelled grenade(RPG) and they are also equipped with super speed boats. The pirates use the silent stealth boats under the cover of darkness aboard the ship using rope ladders and overpower its crew sometime even before the ship can send distress signals (SOS) to the nearby patrolling forces.
A pirate aboard an annonymous hijacked vessel
The recent hijack of Saudi owned Sirius star tanker that had a capacity of carrying 2 million barrel of crude oil, 1080 feet long almost (3 times the size of a football) showed the extent vulnerability of ships at sea. In addition, this particular raid was one of the farthest attacks carried out by the pirates approximately 832 kilometers or 450 nautical miles from the Gulf of Aden where the international force are deployed to stop piracy.
Saudi owned Sirius star tanker
To their advantage, most of these sea-vessels have roughly 18 to 25 crewmembers inadequate enough to protect it. The conditions of the sailors are very compromising at sea as most of the time they are neither equipped nor trained to handle hijack threats. It was also earlier how a crew in a desperate attempt to save the ship tried to fight the sophisticated armory of the pirates by using water-hoses. Moreover, the sailors released from captivity of the pirates have commonly agreed that the conditions of victims in the pirate camps are constantly exposed to the threat of mental torture, which can create either a mental imbalance or permanent disablement of a person.
Indian on a defensive stance
As of 22 november2008 eighteen Indian sailors aboard Stolt valor came back home after 2 months of captivity. Even though the Indian navy has been successful in averting all pirate attacks 
(by using its naval commando unit (MARCOS) Marine Commando force) on Indian ships since deployment in the Gulf of Aden there seems to no combined initiative from the world to tackle this act of organized crime and terrorism. It is a greater shock to know that the global community is letting the private companies support these sea-terrorist by adhering to their ransom demands that can be furthered used by the terrorist for destructing activity.
Introduction to Indian Navy Commando (MARCOS) can be seen through this video link. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=neO1KLN9z84&feature=related
By giving into the financial demands of the terrorist, the world may see a new form of money laundering by the unwanted elements of the society or speculation may also lead us to the conclusion that this mode of operandi maybe employed by the terrorists for raising fund for their illegitimate activities and endangering human lives. Furthermore, the pirates will be able to advance their arsenal and forces to carryout attacks that are more violent.
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Bibliography
International Herald Tribune – Martine Jensen analysis over cost of diverting ships
Photo Graphs
Pirate with communication equipment -
www.nickryan.net/images/pirates1.jpg
Pirates using Speed Boat – http://www.vanityfair.com/images/politics/2007/02/poar01_junger0702.jpg
Mayday Mayday Pirates on board the ship -
www.fromthefrontline.co.uk
Marcos introduction -
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=neO1KLN9z84&feature=related
